This invention relates to event data auditing systems and methods and more particularly to systems and methods for procuring and auditing digital rights management event data.
Among the objectives of digital rights management (DRM) technology is to enable digital asset owners to manage how and when others may use one or more of the owner's digital assets. DRM technology may take on various forms that include hardware and/or software necessary to collect event data. DRM technology may also include cryptography and other protective measures to protect one or more digital assets. Digital assets may include, but are not limited to, hardware components, software components, and content. To ensure others are using the digital assets appropriately, DRM technology may include the generation of event data that may be audited by the owner. Though DRM technology enables auditing, certain problems exist.
For example, where a digital asset owner implements a digital asset on multiple customer computing devices each computing device may include DRM technology that produces event data in a distinct format. When the digital asset owner desires to audit the event data to ensure the digital asset is being used within the bounds of a lease agreement or otherwise, the digital asset owner must audit the event data in multiple formats or spend time and resources to convert the event data to a different format that is more complementary to the computing device performing the audit. The situation is further frustrated as the number of distinct formats increases or if travel time is required due to geographically distributed and isolated systems.